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Assignment: New AIDS Treatment Protocol

The “Berlin patient” is a medical case frequently discussed in which a patient received a bone marrow transplant as a treatment for a blood cancer. The unique part of the Berlin patient is that he was also cured of an HIV infection. Over the years there have been a number of tests to determine what about the bone marrow transplant addressed a systemic immunity failure such as AIDS.

Summarize the Berlin patient information, focused on the connection between the skeletal and immune systems. Specifically note factors that likely contributed to curing the Berlin patient’s HIV infection. Finally, discuss why this type of treatment approach is unlikely to become a widespread solution to ongoing HIV infections and AIDS epidemic.

Rubric: New AIDS Treatment Protocol

Criteria

Ratings

Pts

Berlin patient

Original treatment (why and what) discussed, along with the timeline for AIDS “cure”

Original treatment addressed at a high level with specific comments about AIDS outcome

Original treatment not discussed or not connected to AIDS cure

3 pts

AIDS outcome

All possible explanations for AIDS “cure” are summarized, specifically emphasizing the connection between the immune and skeletal systems

Limited summary of possible causes of AIDS cure, with only basic connections made between immune and skeletal systems

Possible explanations for AIDS cure are not discussed, or both skeletal and immune system are not addressed

3 pts

General Cure

Risks and success rates are discussed as arguments against the Berlin patient scenario as a general AIDS cure

Limited discussion of risks and success rates against the Berlin patient scenario as a general AIDS cure